


Glacialis

by AceQueenKing



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Family Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 02:37:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13801617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/pseuds/AceQueenKing
Summary: Summary: After an attempt to get supplies from Jotunheim turns out not as well as planned, Loki and Thor are reduced to hiding in a cave, and for the first time in years, actually get to talk about what’s happening. Post-Ragnarok.





	Glacialis

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as part of the Thorki Valentines on tumblr for there-will-be-better-days and as a warm-up for the [Bifrost Connection](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/BifrostConnection2018). Can't wait for that to wrap. <3

“Of all the places, on all the realms to raid for supplies - you had to pick Jotunheim.”

Thor tried to avoid Loki’s glance, which was somewhat murderous. Admittedly, coming to Jotunheim had not been the most glorious choice he could make as king, but he had learned from Hela’s gutting of Asgard that glory was not all there was to being a good king. They needed supplies to make it to Midgard, and, well, they had been to Jotunheim in the past, and they had handled it easily. Of the realms within easy distance to Asgard - or what, formally, was Asgard - Jotunheim was both the closest and least defensible.

Besides, they needed water and it wasn’t like Jotunheim was going to miss it.

“I mean, it’s  _only_  our mortal enemy,” Loki continued, oblivious to the fact that Thor wasn’t arguing with him. “The one you and I both cut out teeth on fighting since we could go forth in into the Bifrost.”

“That was a long time ago,” he said, shivering. By Odin’s frosty beard, it was cold. He wished he hadn’t insisted on doing the diplomatic thing and gone with only Loki. He’d hoped it to be a good bonding exercise with the brother who he just barely knew. Now, instead, he knew it was hubris. He’d thought they could handle the frost giants; hadn’t anticipated that, perhaps, the frost giants were taking steps to handle him.

They’d handled the first twenty or so easily enough; Loki’s power was potent, and he was proud of him; it would have been within Loki’s typical behavior to try to make a deal with the frost giants, to tie up Thor like a trussed pig, and have the giants march him straight to Laufey’s abandoned throne.

But then, of course, there had been another thirty; Loki’s power had fallen, and he was, much to his displeasure, nowhere near as strong without Mjoliner; the spark to summon lightning proved exhausting. By forty warriors, they were both falling behind, and by fifty, his brother was reduced to creating a mirage while they took their leave.

Which left them here.

Trapped in a cave.

Together, yet alone.

Thor shivered; he knew Korg and the others would bring the ship back around, but - could they even find them now? Thor did not know. He did not want to think about that, and yet it was all he could think of. How long would it take before they found him? They had asked the others to come back after a few hours; it had been at least that long now.

The sun had gone down.

“Do you think they’ll even be able to find us, that shipful of idiots?” Loki hissed, somehow perfectly reading his mind. Loki didn’t seem to feel the cold at all - but then, he wouldn’t, would he?

Thor grit his teeth. They chattered anyway. He was in danger now, he knew; he hadn’t studied up a great deal on frostbite but he knew the cold was taking its toll. His fingers were starting to fade, and he was tired - so, so tired.

He had to concentrate on the positive. He took a deep breath.

“Heimdall is there,” he said; “He will find us. If not him, Valkyrie. If not her, well, I’m sure the Hulk still has your scent memorized, brother.”

That was a low blow, but Thor was too miserable to really think through the consequences of saying such a thing. Loki emitted a hard noise, somewhere between a frustrated sigh and a neutered yell. He looked at Thor with what could - at best - be called apocalyptic rage, then kicked a stone in the cave.

“Either way, we are failures, brother. No water; we lost the extraction kit.” Loki slid down into a seated position next to him, and Thor gripped his hands to his chest tighter, trying desperately to bring feeling back into his cold fingers. The loss of the water extractor was a sore point, and a bitter loss. He wished they’d had time to grab it; at best, they’d be able to cut out blocks of ice, but that would take far longer to convert into water than the machine to simply pump it from lower in Jotenheim’s still warm core.

Why was Loki bringing up such things, anyway? They both knew the odds that they were facing. He did not need his failures rubbed into his face, thank you very much.

“Need you point out other failures of my short rule?” Thor threw a stone against the wall; it broke apart into pitiful segments, reminding him of nothing so much as himself.  "Perhaps you would like to point out I haven’t built as many statues of you as you might like. Perhaps you might like to point out the irony of the King of Asgard passing the end of his reign hiding in a cave on Jotunheim.“

"Hm,” Loki made a strange noise.. “There is a delicious irony to that. Such a pity others won’t see us here.”

Thor rolled his eyes. Typical Loki. “Thank you so much for making my last hours on this mortal plane so pleasant, brother.” That was the frustrating thing about Loki; he liked Loki, loved Loki even – and yet Loki seemed to thrive on nothing so much as Thor’s misery.

“Don’t talk like that,” Loki said; Thor looked up, surprised. It wasn’t like Loki to be so vehement, and even less like him to be so serious.

“I mean it,” Loki said. He stood, sliding off the jacket, and Thor couldn’t stop the stab of jealousy that wound through him. Damn Loki. It wasn’t fair, he thought feverishly; he was so, so cold and Loki - it didn’t seem to affect him at all.

With a look that suggested he truly pitied Thor, Loki threw the jacket on him. It was several sizes too small, but it would serve well enough for a blanket - at least for the time being.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Don’t mention it.” Loki rolled his eyes.  "Please.“

"Okay,” he said, and closed his eyes.

\- - -

“Stop it,” Loki said; the cold feeling of trepidation that had been burning in his gut since they had left for Jotunheim sunk further down on him. Thor had been off all day; first, he had complimented him in battle, now he was talking about dying and - if he died, it would be Loki on the throne.

A thought he considered with far less relish than he might have just a few months before. He had been king of Asgard before, if in another skin; it did not matter. It was boring now, and there wasn’t even an Asgard to rule.

Thor’s head bent down again; he was falling asleep.

With a heavy growl, he hit Thor upside the head. The idiot. “This isn’t the time for sleeping,” he said, cross, and he knew Thor was really truly in dire straits because the man didn’t hit him back, or shove him, or even suggest it.

It was…frustrating.

Thor looked at him, weary and exhausted. His one eye stared back with a look that reminded him far too much of Odin.

“I would have thought you’d have been happy at my passing, brother,” Thor said, and laughed. It was not, Loki thought, very funny.

“Shut up,” he said; not his best come-back, but he was far too unhappy about being trapped in such a dire place as this cave to truly examine his complex feelings toward his brother.

Thor didn’t say anything, his eyes closing again.

“I said stop it!” He hissed; he slapped him again, this time hard enough to leave a hot, red streak on his cheek.

“Even your hands are cold, brother,” Thor said; he sounded disappointed.

There was a long pause in which they said nothing.

Thor’s head fell down again.

Loki snarled. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He had already given Thor his jacket. He could not give him more clothes. Even he, a frost giant, felt  _some_  cold, and it was hardly as if Thor would fit his clothing.

There was but one thing to do.

He sighed and clambered into his brother’s lap, sitting thigh to thigh. It was the closest they had sat for centuries.

“What- what are you doing?” Thor murmured; he didn’t even bother to look up.

“You have me in your lap; you should be honored,” he said, rolling his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and flexed his fingers, summoning a soft burst of flame between his fingers.

“Fire,” Thor said, licking his lips. He looked so thankful that it twisted something deep inside Loki, something that he’d do anything not to think about but, somehow, could not escape.

“Yes,” Loki rolled his eyes, retreating into sarcasm. “Well done. Points for elemental identification.”

“Hmm, mother would be proud,” Thor said. He fell backward and Loki tumbled down further into his arms; he was well aware they were all but cuddling, but if Thor wasn’t going to make a comment about that, well - it was the most efficient way to make sure Thor was going to live, was all.

“Loki,” Thor said, his voice almost a whisper. “If I die - before the others get here - ”

“Stop,” he said.

“If - If I die, lead them well, brother.”

“Stop it!” He snarled. He slapped Thor with his hand and had the satisfaction of leaving a bright red mark. “You aren’t - you can’t - You won’t,” he said, with a snarl. “Stay with me, you smug cur.”

“Hmm,” Thor said, chuckling. “Funny. After all this time, I thought you would be happier. You must - you must care for me.”

“You know that,” Loki said, then swore. “Do not attempt to coerce flattery from me, brother. You will find me lacking.”

“I never do,” Thor said, rolling his eyes. He pulled Loki’s coat around his shoulders and tried to wear it. If he was hoping not to look ridiculous, he failed; the seams all but ripped on the shoulders as Loki’s Jacket was forced to strain over his brother’s muscles.  Loki did not allow it to distract him from the argument at hand, though it was tempting to.

“Lies. You have expressed plenty of doubt in me, brother.”

Loki leaned forward until they were touching completely, Thor’s arms moving to hold him in a way he hadn’t since he was a child. “It’s very annoying, you know,” Thor said. “I have doubted your abilities never. It’s your goals I find suspect, brother. Any criticism I have of you has its roots in your ambition.”

“You don’t know my ambitions,” Loki hummed, the pure flame between his fingers not sound enough to keep Thor from turning a reddish color.

“Less than I thought. I would have thought you’d be keener on being king, Loki.”

 Loki felt flush in annoyance; it was true, he no longer wanted the throne of Asgard. Thor, however, did not need to have picked up on the fact so quickly; he was reading Loki well, and Loki did not like this… vulnerability.

Thor cupped his cheek and their eyes met, Thor seeing his weakness in full.

“I’m proud of you, brother,” Thor said, quietly. The silence was deafening. "And if I am to die here.. I would like you to know how I feel.”

“You feel t much,” Loki hissed: he felt unmoored, unhitched. Things seemed to be shifting too fast for Loki; he did not feel in control, he felt threatened, and somehow, when Thor’s lips moved forward and kissed him, Loki resisted the urge to bolt.

It was a tender kiss, far more so than he deserved. Not chaste, but not overly sexual either; still, the hand that slowly drifted down his back left little doubt that the kiss was anything but romantic.

“I am a fool, brother, but - I am your fool,” Thor said, with a goofy smile, and Loki wanted to slap him but couldn’t; didn’t.

Thor, once more, had read him wholly.

“You are that,” he said, finally; Thor chuckled and did not complain as Loki took his hand. They sat together like that in companionable silence for a few moment, neither sure how to proceed on new and slick grounds.

Silence, however, they could both agree on, and neither could be offended by. The sun was rising now, and together, they watched it. He squeezed Thor’s hand to make sure the man was still awake, and Thor squeezed back.

And Loki, for the first time in many years, felt – hopeful, almost.

So much so that Loki barely even noticed when the one with the scissor hands - Meep? - crashed down upon them, shaking the snow off of his shoulders.

“Oh, ‘ello there.” The Rock monster bounded after him, and both Loki and Thor raised their eyes in surprise as the ship - the most beautiful ship! - as it floated above them. “We’ve got the water, though it was a bit of a nasty scrap. Thankfully you softened'em up…” Korg tilted his head, looking down on them. “You ready to get back to work?”

“Aye,” Loki said, standing; he hauled Thor to his feet and the two moved forward toward the ship. If anyone noticed Loki tossing his arm over Thor’s shoulder as he led them both back to the ship, no one commented on it.

And Loki, for once, appreciated the lack of attention.


End file.
